Another Nice Mess We've Gotten Into
by Kira699
Summary: After two DBs turn up with messages on them, Sara and Catherine go missing. Will the team find them in time? Will Sara ever be the same?
1. Chapter 1

**Another Nice Mess We've Gotten Into**

**Disclaimer: I promise to return the characters to CBS when I've finished playing with them.**

**After two DBs turn up with messages on them, Sara and Catherine go missing. Will the team find them in time? Will Sara ever be the same? You'll have to read it to find out.**

Chapter 1

Peter Symonds was his name and he was angry. Angrier than was normally conceivable. Currently he had in his basement two girls, one a long haired brunette, the other, blonde. Each day he had taken out his anger on these two innocent ladies, knowing full well they weren't the ones he was angry at. The two he wanted weren't as easily accessible.

The two ladies in his possession had been bound, beaten and savagely raped. They still hoped for salvation but each day those hopes grew fainter. They were now numb, ready to die, almost hoping for it all to end any way it could. The brunette lasted longer than the blonde. Broken bones, pain and a broken mind let her slip away, her body gave up without the mind striving to keep it going. She died in pain.

Symonds put her bound body into the trunk of his car and drove her to the outskirts of Las Vegas, left her driver's licence on her, and a message carved into her chest. 'CATHERINE WILLOWS, THIS IS YOUR FUTURE!' He then drove back to his lair to prepare for his next message.

Back at the lab

Grissom handed out assignments. "Catherine, you and Nick have a 419 on the outskirts. Female, aged 40, Brass will meet you there. Sara you and Warrick take a B&E in Henderson, grocery store, three wounded. Greg you are with me on our current case load here in the lab, but be ready for call out. Right let's go folks."

Nick drove out to edge of Vegas where they saw the flashing lights and met up with Brass at the scene, he looked very worried. "Nick, Catherine, we have a dead female, aged 41, ID says she's Leslie Parks. Her address is one of the more expensive parts of Vegas, COD not conclusive yet. She was severely beaten, raped and tortured. One more thing, the killer left a message carved into her chest."

Catherine and Nick walked over to where the Coroner stood, Parks' arms were bound behind her with duct tape, ankles likewise and another strip over her mouth. Catherine suddenly went deathly pale as she saw the message left by the killer. Nick came to her side and saw the reason for her unhealthy pallor.

"I want the tape left intact, we'll take it off at the lab and check for prints and DNA there, bag the licence Cath and check the perimeter, I'll do the body," Nick said strongly, knowing this would jolt her out of the trance.

Catherine responded as her training kicked in, she still was trembling inside, but if she did her job efficiently then they might catch this killer before he could carry out his threat.

Grissom had a call from Doc Robbins to come down and view Leslie Parks' body and bring the camera. The Doc was an old workhorse so nothing surprised him much these days but this was something different.

"COD doc?" asked Grissom.

"Not totally established yet Gil, could be a number of things, or none of them. I'll tell you why before you ask. Broken bones aplenty, ribs, right arm, cheek bone, jaw and eyesocket fractures. Kneecaps, nose all shattered. Unknown weapons used in all, blunt force though. Neck ligatures suggest strangulation, but the eyes don't agree so my guess is the killer used strangulation as a torture, not as a kill weapon.

Her heart on the other hand is different, it's showing signs of fatigue, weakness and atrophy. One kidney is ruptured, lacerated liver. But basically all I can say for certain is that she had a heart attack. Whoever did this to her took away her will to live and her heart gave out.

"The is the message that was carved into her chest Gil, it was meant for Catherine," he said showing Grissom the highlighted screen view of the message. CATHERINE WILLOWS THIS IS YOUR FUTURE.

Grissom called a team meeting to discuss this message with the team and to check any and all results from the scene. So far no prints had been found on the licence apart from the vic's. The tape was generic and cut with a straight, sharp blade, no useable prints, only smudges. Footprints and tyretracks at the scene were a washout, nothing there to use. Next came the issue of Catherine's protection.

"Grissom, I'm not going to be locked away just in case, however I will send Lindsey to my sister's place for a few days to start with, but I do have another idea which might very well work."

Catherine went on about how she had spoken to Doc Robbins, who even approved the idea and would do it. "I can get Doc Robbins to implant a microchip so I can be tracked, no phone GPS needed, just a little transdermal chip, as for the placement, well it would have to be somewhere it can't be broken or ripped out," she said, shuddering at the thought, but thinking realistically.

After discussion regarding the vic's injuries, and untouched places, it was agreed that anywhere was risky but that her hip region was probably the best option, near her spine. Theoretically the case now seemed solved, all they had to do was bait the trap…. With Catherine, and pray nothing went wrong.

Peter Symonds was still enjoying himself with his other toy, the brunette, Josephine Collins, she was made of sterner stuff than the blonde had been. After inflicting the same cruel punishment on Josephine, he went further, slicing through her flesh with a scalpel, her blood filling the shallow table on which she lay. Her eyes full of pain and fear one moment, then glassy and still as her heart ran out of fuel to pump.

**If you liked it or were disappointed I'd still like to know. No reviews, no updates.**

**Oh and insert reviews by clicking the review button, thanks heaps.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Another Nice Mess We've Gotten Into**

**Disclaimer: I promise to return the characters to CBS when I've finished playing with them. The scenarios created within these pages are figments of my warped imagination. As for the real writers of the series, I'm sure us fic writers can be just as devious. We just never get to play with the real actors.**

**After two DBs turn up with messages on them, Sara and Catherine go missing. Will the team find them in time? Will Sara ever be the same? You'll have to read it to find out.**

Chapter 2

This time his message would be different, they would protect Catherine, but if he warned them a second time they would also protect Sara Sidle. He carved ME AGAIN CATHERINE into her chest and dumped her body where it would be found the next day.

Phase two of his plan could now be executed, starting with the unprotected brunette, then when they lowered their guard, he'd snap up Catherine as well. He couldn't fail this time, the plan was simple.

As he predicted the body was found, the scene processed, again with negative results. Doc Robbins was horrified at the severity of the girl's injuries. How she survived to get to that point he would never know, but one thing puzzled him, the message. Was it really a message to Catherine? Would he keep killing until he got her? Or was there an obvious explanation? "Sara," he said out loud, just as Grissom walked into the autopsy room.

"What about Sara, Doc?" he asked.

"This girl, Josephine Collins, brunette, 34, message for Catherine again. I'm thinking however that it's a red herring. We are taking measures to protect Catherine after the first vic came in, but where's Sara? I think he's going after her first using Catherine as a distraction."

"Oh hell, she's not chipped either, no way of tracking her." Grissom raced out the door, hitting Sara's number on speed dial.

Sara, being oblivious to the new information, was getting out of her car in her apartment parking lot when her phone rang. "What's wrong Grissom? You sound out of breath?" she said, not knowing they were the last words she'd be having in this conversation. She felt a knife at her throat and froze, an arm around her waist gripping tightly. "Say anything and you are dead where you stand Sidle, move and your throat is slit." Sara stood tensed and scared, memories of that day at the asylum flashing back at her. She felt the knife taken away from her throat only to have a sickly smelling cloth forced over her nose and mouth. This she fought unsuccessfully, the chloroform acted quickly. She crumpled into her attacker's arms and he loaded her body into the trunk of her own car and drove off to where he'd stashed his car.

Grissom had heard this exchange over the phone and his heart broke, the killer had her and they had no way of tracking her.

"Archie, trace the GPS on both Sara's phone and car and text me the locations ASAP," he yelled. "Nick, Warrick with me. Catherine stay put awhile and help Archie. Greg you go solo on the B&E, right let's go."

"We'll find her Griss, don't you worry," said Nick, comfortingly, "we have to, she still owes me money from the last poker game."

Sara's nightmare had just begun, she woke up with a blinding headache, after effects of the chloroform, and tried to massage her temples only to find that she couldn't move. Quickly assessing her situation she discovered her wrists bound behind her back, swathed in duct tape, ankles taped firmly together, tape not only over her mouth but wrapped around her head. '_This will hurt coming off'_ she thought grimly.

The room she was in was dimly lit, and had a familiar odour to it, a coppery smell, blood! She looked around at the walls, the ceiling and the floor. Dark red stains were everywhere and she suddenly understood where she was, not the location, but the intentions behind the attack. She felt very small and very alone.

She was left alone where she was for a further six hours, nothing had happened, her captor hadn't visited, she had been given no food or water, nor had she been assaulted. It felt 'off' somehow, something didn't feel right. She went over the last two bodies brought in, and tried fitting puzzle pieces together, the first threat to Catherine, on the blonde DB, the second message to Catherine, on the brunette DB. _'That was a diversion, to get me' _she thought.' _Now with everyone out looking for me, he's out stalking Cath. But he doesn't know she's microchipped._ _Ok so there is heaps of hope left for me if he gets her unless Grissom makes a balls up and doesn't use her as bait.'_ She relaxed as much as she could, but couldn't get comfortable as she was, and lying in someone else's blood was gruesome as well as smelly and creepy.

Archie got a position on both Sara's cell phone and car, the phone was outside her apartment block but the car was miles away near a deserted scrap yard. Police cordoned off the area and when Grissom, Warrick and Nick arrived they quickly detailed off into search patterns looking for anything that might be used to find Sara. Tyre tracks were found, fresh ones. Clear, distinct pattern, the killer's car had been stationary here for a while. Nick took out a ruled scale and photographed the tread, it had a distinctive deep tread used on off road vehicles, that he could tell at a glance. Warrick found the cloth soaked in chloroform in the trunk of Sara's car, some hairs, but no blood which was a good sign.

Grissom found the shoe prints, deep impressions, he took a casting of it. With such a deep tread pattern it could only mean one of two things, the man was heavily built or he had carried Sara. Grissom figured on the latter as no sign of other prints were found. A tow truck came and took the car back to the lab for further analysis. "Ok guys, I think we've got all we're going to get here. Let's get this lot back to the lab for testing."

Work and time went on, lab work wasn't getting them far, actually nowhere. They all needed fresh eyes but no one was going to leave which meant a triple shift and sleeping in the lab for some. Others went home for sleep but came back for the graveyard shift. Catherine slept in the lab until her new shift started. She was under orders not to leave the lab, orders from Grissom. Ecklie of course didn't want any of them there but was for once overruled by the Sherriff, this case was top priority.

Catherine was feeling hemmed in, like the walls were closing in on her. "Greg, I'm just going outside for a breath of fresh air, won't be longer than five minutes I promise. I'll check back with you when I come back ok?"

"Couldn't you just go up to the roof, or have an escort Cath, I don't like the idea of you going out there alone."

"I'll wear my gun, how's that?"

"Well, don't tell Grissom, he'll skin me alive."

"I'll take the blame Greg, you worry too much, see you in five."

Catherine then walked out of the building, took a deep breath and felt better. Until the voice broke through her thoughts.

"Sara sends her best Catherine."

**Ok so what should happen next, any ideas? **

**Now I daresay someone out there actually reads this. No reviews, no updates.**

**If you would like to know what comes next, you know what to do.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Another Nice Mess We've Gotten Into**

**Disclaimer: Yeah yeah, CBS owns CSI, ever wonder if any of CSI ever reads this stuff?**

**Oh dear looks like Cath got more than some fresh air.**

Chapter 3

She whirled around and reached for her gun. "Touch that weapon and Sara dies where she is, and none of you can save her, you don't have the time."

"What do you want, and more importantly who are you?"

"Who I am isn't important, what I want is, but not here. This is not the place to discuss this, now I want you to walk with me quite freely over to my car and get in, and smile. I know there are surveillance cameras here, don't take me for stupid."

Catherine saw threat in his eyes and silently thanked Doc Robbins for the chip. Maybe now she could get this case solved and rescue Sara. If she was still alive.

Catherine had more than that one advantage, she knew about the hidden camera overlooking the parking lot, it wasn't obvious, had better coverage and above all a higher resolution. She smiled as she walked past the obvious cameras, then dropped her smile and mouthed 'HELP' to the hidden camera. Her job done, she climbed into the vehicle, a large foreign SUV, at least it was comfortable even if it was a little dirty. '_Hmm, dirt ok, let's leave some dirt here for them to find_.' Cautiously she had managed to scrape some dirt off the car, along with some paint and left a small pile before climbing in.

"Well done Catherine, now buckle up and I'll relieve you of your sidearm and phone, don't want to tempt fate now do we."

"Ok now will you tell me what this is all about, I got the messages, do you want to enlighten me? Or do you just want to look at the scenery as we drive?"

"Oh I don't know, have a look at that view Catherine, I think it's breathtaking myself, go on look, it won't hurt you just to look around once in a while, besides it might be your last time. I will tell you one thing though, you'll never mess me around again. You and that other CSI ruined me, so I'm going to ruin you, permanently."

"How did we ruin you, I don't even recognize you."

"You ruined my career, my life, everything, I'm not surprised you don't recognize me, you wouldn't even look at me back then, nor answer any of my questions, you both just fobbed me off, and lost my job and family because of you two, but you can't ignore me now can you? Enough with explanations now just do as you're told and enjoy the skyline while you can."

Catherine knew she would escape this guy but finding Sara was priority, so if being the bait worked all well and good, she had a way out eventually, so she sat back and looked out the window taking in landmarks as they drove. When he pulled over into a siding she got worried, nothing was here, no buildings, only trees, dirt and a few bushy weeds.

"Don't worry Catherine I'm not going to kill you here, I do have other plans though, now get out and climb into the back. I you try to run, I'll shoot you with your own gun, and Sara will die too. She can't escape where she is, so I can just drive off and leave her to die of thirst."

Catherine climbed into the back of the SUV and waited. He turned her face down and wrapped her wrists in duct tape, then her ankles. She was now to all intents and purposes helpless for the next part. He could have used anything, chloroform, ether, you name it, but he decided instead on a small amount of halothane anaesthetic, just sufficient to knock her out for the drive.

Greg by this time had guessed something was wrong and told Archie to start the tracking of Catherine while he check out the hidden camera footage. "Archie you done with the track, if so, I need you to check this tape. There was Catherine walking to an SUV under her own power and smiling. That was odd, then her expression briefly changed and he saw her mouth a plea for help. He hit Grissom's number on speed dial. "Grissom, Catherine has been taken , we're tracking her now, I'm heading out to the parking lot to check it, she would have left something. This is the same guy who has Sara, I'm pretty sure Catherine wouldn't have gone with him otherwise, she was still wearing her gun when she got into his car, he was unarmed."

"Good work Greg, get Archie to send us the continuing co ordinates of Catherine, but we can't move until we know where they both are. We are only assuming he'll take Catherine to the same place as Sara. We have to be sure first."

Catherine woke up in a dark, smelly room, her wrists were still bound behind her back with tape, her ankles wrapped firmly with more tape but she was more worried about Sara than herself. She had a way out that she knew was only open to her if she with Sara. Letting her senses adjust to her surroundings she smelt the coppery smell of blood, she then heard what sounded like a muffled moan. She wasn't alone, but was she with Sara?

"Sara?"

Another moan. Catherine started worming her way across towards the moan. "Hang on Sara, I'm coming, I'm following the sound."

Catherine found her and turning around so her finger could reach, her hand touched the tape on Sara's mouth, found an edge and started to unravel the sticky substance. Sara yelped as her hair was caught in the tape.

"Cath, you wouldn't happen to have any water by any chance would you?"

"Sorry Sara, no help either."

"What time is it, do you have any idea?"

"He took my watch, so I have no idea, but he took me at about 2.30 am, so it's probably well after 4am by now."

"Oh god, nearly 24 hours and no water, just lying in someone else's blood. This was the room those girls died in Cath. The light bulb died hours ago, the walls are covered in blood splatter. I think I've figured it out Cath. You were his intended target all along, I'm collateral damage. It doesn't matter to him what happens to me, you saw the bodies, the brunette was virtually carved up. The blonde wasn't. According to Doc Robbins she had a heart attack after she was beaten. The message however doesn't quite make sense, so far neither of us has been touched." Sara's voice trailed off, she didn't like where this was leading, the 'so far' bit anyway.

Peter Symonds was listening to every word they spoke to each other, he was letting them gain false hope so that he could break them easier. Now was as good a time as any to start on Sidle, she was dehydrated sufficiently and he was going to drive his point home to Willows. Sidle had been correct, she was collateral damage, and was going to make Willows guilty enough to kill her out of sheer mercy. He wanted Catherine Willows turned into a murderer, that was her future.

It was time. He walked slowly down and opened the door into the dark room and changed the light bulb.

"Getting re acquainted ladies, good, now say your goodbyes. Miss Sidle and I are going for a short walk."

**A/N I will say this, it won't be for a stroll through the park either. So it's twenty questions time folks. What will happen next?**

**Now I daresay someone out there actually reads this. No reviews, no updates.**

**Many thanks to everyone who reviewed this story, encouraged is appreciated, suggestions welcomed, inspiration priceless. **

**If you would like to know what comes next, you know what to do.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Another Nice Mess We've Gotten Into**

**Disclaimer: Yeah yeah, CBS owns CSI, ever wonder if any of CSI ever reads this stuff?**

**It's time for Sara's walkies time. **

Chapter 4

Taking out a sharp knife, he cut the tape on Sara's ankles and dragged her to her feet then led her stumbling form out, locking the door behind him.

Catherine stared around her in horror, blood was everywhere, now he was 'working' on Sara, it simply wasn't fair, she herself was supposed to be the target.

Sara found herself strapped down to a table that looked remarkably like Doc Robbins morgue table, the instruments around her looked menacing enough, sharp too.

"Now Ms Sidle, or do you prefer Sara, you are a very clever lady, you were correct. You are collateral damage, expendable, however I won't be the one killing you. When you said that the message didn't make sense you were right, Catherine isn't going to die, at least not by my hand. You will die by her hand, but I do first want to test your strength and endurance under extremes of pain and torture."

"Catherine would never hurt me, let alone kill me," Sara retorted angrily.

"She won't have a choice, because you will beg her to. You will be begging anyone to kill you when I'm done."

Using a scalpel, Peter cut all remnants of clothing from Sara's body, then took up a meat mallet." I know you are a vegetarian Sara, but I'm sure you know what this is, a meat tenderizer. It has a nice effect on bones too. I'll show you."

With that he brought the mallet down on Sara's restrained left hand. She screamed as she felt the bones shatter and blood spread out of the wound. "That's just for starters Sara, this is what I used on those other girls, but they were just my practice tools, to perfect it for you and Catherine. Let's try the kneecaps, unless you have a better suggestion. Your choice Sara."

"Not the knees or legs please, if you aren't going to kill me today, then at least let me be able to walk once more before you take that away."

"Wise choice, you should play chess or poker, chancy and skilled but needing intelligence. It's still your move. Pick a bone before I do."

"Rib."

'_Ok Sidle not really a good idea on your part, but what else can you suggest, you don't want to lose the use of both arms yet, left arm is still damaged from being under the car, there is nothing else_.'

"That's hardly fair Sara, what if I accidentally kill you?"

"You said my choice, I chose, if you kill me then I win and lose."

Again the mallet hammered down, connecting with a lower right rib, the weight of the mallet produced a clean break along with a lot of pain.

"You really know how to ruin a fun evening Sara, but enough with this tool, I'll find something more exciting for you."

His next choice was a scalpel.

"You have no say this time Sara, it's purely my choice."

He proceeded to trace the scalpel down each arm, down her sides and then stopped to watch as thin streams of blood leaked out. He was entranced by the thin red streams, they weren't heavy and almost stopping but enough to make him happy with his work.

"They will heal if given time, you won't die from blood loss, although you will feel the loss. Now I'm sure you are thirsty and may have some water shortly after you entertain me."

He stripped off his shirt, pants and undergarments and bathed himself in Sara's blood before raping her savagely while she screamed with the pain. He then gave her a bottle of water which she gulped down then felt the room spinning.

He didn't re tie her hands or feet, she was in to much pain to do anything, he just dumped a semi conscious woman on the floor and left. Catherine was there to pick up the pieces.

"Sara? You ok? Talk to me please."

"Yeah Cath I'm ok, just give me a minute to catch my breath. I'll be right over there."

Sara crawled painfully over to Catherine and freed her hands, using her one good hand. "This is madness Cath, but now I know I was correct but I need a promise from you, one which may be hard to keep, but you must."

Catherine saw and felt the blood still dripping from Sara's wounds as she outlined Peter's plans to make Catherine kill Sara.

"No matter how much I beg, plead, or how much he forces you, don't do it. If I die, I die and will be by his hand alone. You don't need a guilt trip like that, or to end up in prison, you have a life and family. I'm expendable."

"Sara you are not expendable, you have a family too, all of us, and Grissom, he loves you he just hasn't worked out how to say it yet. I even told him to quit playing with his bugs and just tell you, that was just before you went home the other night. He didn't get the chance, give him that chance Sara. The guys will find us soon, I'm sure of it, I made sure of it. I scratched enough dirt off Peter's car and some paint."

Sara smiled, she knew Catherine would come up with a plan, and probably used the hidden camera to her advantage as well, but best not to mention that. "Cath, he has been listening to us talk in here, so I doubt that he'll appreciate you 'keying' his car."

The door was flung open and an angry Peter stood there. "You damaged my car Willows, you didn't behave yourself, you are something of a puzzle but I have a plan for puzzles. Ok where is it, you let yourself come too easily, where's the wire or bug. If I have to strip you right here and now with this knife I will."

"I am not wearing a wire or a bug, Peter, I wish I was, but I'm not" Which was of course perfectly true, the tracker was wearing Catherine.

Peter only got angrier, he backed Catherine up against a wall, his left forearm hard across her throat, his knife hand slicing the clothing off her. She was choking as the pressure got harder but he didn't notice in his slicing frenzy.

"Stop it Peter, you're killing her, it'll ruin all your plans," yelled Sara.

**A/N Looks like Catherine is getting some treatment as well, fancy damaging his car, tsk tsk. Naughty Cat.**

**Now I daresay someone out there actually reads this. No reviews, no updates.**

**Many thanks to everyone who reviewed this story, encouraged is appreciated, suggestions welcomed, inspiration priceless. **

**If you would like to know what comes next, you know what to do.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Another Nice Mess We've Gotten Into**

**Disclaimer: CBS owns CSI, ever wonder if any of CSI ever reads this stuff?**

**The team is on the hunt once more, thanks to a lab rat.**

Chapter 5

With regular updates Grissom, Brass and the rest of the team were in hot pursuit however they couldn't close in until they knew for sure that both girls were together in the same place. That could be done via Catherine signaling on the tracker. The genius who invented that idea will remain unnamed, he's too modest, ok it was Archie, he added the reciever. Catherine had to tap a certain code, simple and easy, to let them know they were both at the same location. So far she hadn't, which compounded their problem, was Sara still alive? If so why take Catherine elsewhere, or if they were together, why didn't she signal. This worried Grissom, he couldn't bear the thought of losing the one person he truly loved, Sara, and his best friend Catherine.

They had no lights flashing, nor sirens blaring when they stopped two blocks from the apparent position. Now they had play a waiting game and hope the girls weren't enduring the same savage treatment as received by the two dead girls in the morgue. It was a vain hope, Grissom knew, in his heart, they were being mistreated. That was this guys plan. His cell phone buzzed. It was Greg.

"Grissom, no signal yet from Catherine but you are in the right place, but I want to try something different and it requires your authorization. I want to use the satellite imaging we have, to scan the location for body signatures."

"Greg, I'd say go ahead, but is it possible to try it any other way? Helicopter imaging won't work as he'll hear it, anyway which satellite?"

"There is a defence satellite passing over shortly, a small window of opportunity, but if I start now I might be able to get into it. Or should we do it officially?"

"Try officially first, meanwhile have Archie try to hack it, anything is better than nothing at this stage."

Greg tried the official way, even Ecklie helped, but the help was refused claiming it would compromise National Security if it were used in that capacity, apart from which it wasn't common knowledge that the satellite could do it. Archie tried his best but the only back door he did find, slammed shut in his face and wiped out the entire computer. Just as well he used a stand alone one or the lab could have lost everything.

The only recourse now was to wait for Catherine.

Tapping the tracker was the last thing on Catherine's mind right now, breathing had first priority. She now stood naked save for her shoes and socks.

"Take off those shoes and socks as well, I'm tired of this little game, I think the time has come to change plans."

He took all of her clothing, shredded and burned them, now he felt safe again, she wasn't bugged or wired. Yet they still looked confident or was that natural with these two, were they stronger than the last two? Did they require extra special treatment, more damaging treatment. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve. Let's see if Catherine is as strong as she pretends to be.

"Time for a short walk Catherine, and don't run away Sara, I have other plans for you."

Catherine ended up strapped to the filthy morgue table this time, still covered in Sara's blood. "First I'll start off as I did with Sara, but this time you don't get the same choice that I gave Sara. This is my fun and I no longer care which one of you dies first." _'Damn, now I can't reach the tracker, wasn't able to before, then it would have been obvious, now I once again can't.'_

Peter smashed the mallet down on her left kneecap, shattering it, again it came down on her ankle, hearing the bone snap, Peter smiled. He loved hearing the screams of his victims in pain. The next blow landed on her hand which lay crushed and bleeding, then finally on her collar bone, hearing a lovely snap there as well. "I should really continue, but I'll change my tools since you forced my hand. This scalpel is very sharp Catherine, but as I want some fun first, I won't cut you up too badly on your first day."

He sliced diagonally downwards, from her broken collarbone, between her breasts to the base of her ribcage. It was a shallow cut but the pain of everything had made her pass out. She didn't see the rivulets of blood pouring down her body, entering the drain at her feet.

She was carried back to the room and gently deposited on the floor before Peter left and locked the door behind him. He had left clean rags that Sara used to staunch the blood flow.

"Come on Cath, wake up, please just wake up," she cried as she saw the horrific injuries inflicted on her friend. This was only the beginning, they had to get out of here and Catherine was the only one who knew how. Sara tried the only thing she could, she knew she had to tap the tracker, but didn't know the code, maybe anything would do. She tried anyway.

"Greg, we have a signal, but not the right code, that could mean only one of three things. The killer has found it, Catherine forgot the code, or it's Sara, she never knew the code but knew to tap it."

"Archie I'm betting it's Sara, look for a pattern in the tapping, I'll call Grissom."

Archie deciphered the rudimentary morse sending and found it weird to say the least, but he knew it was Sara. He decoded it for Greg, who told Grissom.

"Grissom they are both in there, Sara did the sending, we know because of the message. 'I LOVE YOU GRISSOM.' Please let them be safe."

"Thanks Greg, we'll get them out." He was relieved, Sara was in there and alive, and she loved him. Now he only had to get them to safety.

"Ok Jim, let's bring our girls home, we have confirmation they are both in there."

**A/N Yay, Cavalry to the rescue…maybe?**

**Many thanks to everyone who reviewed this story, encouragment is appreciated, suggestions welcomed, inspiration priceless. **

**If you would like to know what comes next, you know what to do.**

**I fear my muse is deserting me, running out of ideas so I'm open for ideas.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Another Nice Mess We've Gotten Into**

**Disclaimer: CBS owns CSI, ever wonder if any of CSI ever reads this stuff?**

**Oh dear, seems things only get worse before they get better.**

Chapter 6

If only it was that easy, but Peter wasn't going to let Sara off that lightly, he'd seen and heard the tapping from his live feed into the room and worked out that Sara was going to be very dead when they got there. Morse he knew about, it also meant that Catherine had a tracker all along, but Sara was more important now than ever. Well he'd break her down in under five minutes. He'd seen her on the news, after the dramatic rescue from the desert. She would have been psychologically broken, her poker face was a front. He'd fix that.

"Sara, your turn now. I have a few new surprises for you."

She cringed but didn't move. She wanted to stay right here until the cavalry arrived.

She saw him point a gun at Catherine. "Yes Sara, this is her gun, and she'll die by it now unless you come with me."

"Give me a moment with Catherine first please, just two minutes, to say goodbye, is that too much to ask?"

"Very well," he sighed, "But only one minute."

He waited outside the room for her.

"Cath, this may be goodbye, you probably can't hear me but forget all that survivor bullshit, it won't work this time, just remember me to Grissom and the team, and have a good life if you can. Bye Cath."

Catherine could only barely hear her, and couldn't respond, she was in too much pain, but her tears said it all.

Reluctantly Sara moved out of the room and went where he wanted.

Peter used leather cuffs this time. She was restrained, upright against a wall, feet and wrists in the cuffs, a chain fastened tightly around her neck, almost choking her, it would if she passed out. She was going to die right here, she knew it.

"You'll be wondering how the other girls lasted so long with their faces so busted up, it's really simple I used brass knuckles, didn't hit them often, easier on my hands that way, harder on your face though. Don't run away, I just want a little talk with Catherine before we finish up here."

Catherine was awake by this time, in pain, but awake. "Catherine I so dearly wanted you to be the one to finish off Sara, but since you can't or won't, I'm going to enjoy the task myself. You've heard of Jack the Ripper, you can call me the Butcherer of Sara Sidle, because that is what I am going to do, you can lie there and listen to her screams. When I've finished with her, it's your turn. I want to bathe in your blood Catherine." He left and returned to Sara and began his 'task', leaving a horrified Catherine behind who was now highly motivated, even if she was barely able to crawl.

Back with Sara the brass knuckles slammed into her undamaged side, cutting the skin, and again and again, she watched in pain as he kept pounding them into her, hearing the ribs break, gasping for air. Then he changed tack, hit her squarely across the cheekbone, then the eyesocket cracked. She saw blackness creeping into her vision and tried desperately to keep it at bay. He changed his choice of weapon to a baseball bat, which he then slammed into her thigh bone, over and over. Still she forced herself to endure the pain and not pass out, she couldn't, if she did it was all over. "This is your death Sara Sidle."

He plunged a jagged blade through her side and ripped it out, the jagged wound opening a rush of blood, venous not arterial, she would slowly bleed out if she didn't strangle first. He paused to choose his next point of vicious insertion, trying to pick a non lethal place to cause maximum pain and damage.

Then he made a fatal mistake, actually one that he had made earlier, but it now came back at him.

He hadn't locked the basement door the last time.

Catherine had heard everything that went on, heard the strangled screaming, she noticed he hadn't locked the door so she painfully crawled her way upwards to where Sara's screaming was coming from. She saw her gun placed on the table outside the room and gripped it in her good hand and took careful aim. One shot is all that it took, she blew his head off, at least that's how she saw it. In reality he died from a gunshot to the head, her vision faded to red, then darkness overwhelmed her.

All Sara heard was the gunshot, then "LVPD" being yelled and Grissom coming towards her, and she lost her battle to the darkness. She was slowly strangling herself to death.

**A/N Awfully slow rescue isn't it? Ain't I such a tease with a cliffie. **

**Many thanks to everyone who reviewed this story, encouragment is appreciated, suggestions welcomed, inspiration priceless. **

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	7. Chapter 7

**Another Nice Mess We've Gotten Into**

**Disclaimer: CBS owns CSI**

**The cavalry arrived, but were they in time?**

Chapter 7

She woke up suddenly and screamed. Looking around her, everything was white, the smell was of disinfectant, and there beside her was Grissom, asleep, well until she had screamed anyway. She could only see out of one eye, the other being swathed in bandages, in fact she looked like a mummy with all the bandages, but an odd one with all the tubes. She was confused as all hell, her throat hurt, almost everything hurt but how did she get here. A million questions ran through her head.

"Grissom?" she manage to croak out.

"I love you too Sara Sidle." He said matter of factly and planted a kiss on her lips.

Then she remembered the morse message she sent. "It worked then, good." She said it with a strained smile on her lips.

"Sara, our secret is safe with us, Greg and Archie, they know but won't say a word, they promised."

"Cath knows as well, that's how I knew what to send. Is she alright Gil? If I remember right, she saved my life." Alarm shot through her, what if Catherine wasn't alright? "Catherine? Is she..?"

"She'll need major reconstructive surgery as will you, but otherwise fine. Umm, both of you had rape kits done whilst under anaesthetic, we all felt it would be easier on you that way."

"Yeah I figured you'd have to do that, I know he raped me, but his original plan was not to kill Catherine, it was to make her kill me and turn her into a killer. Eventually he won," she cried.

"She didn't kill you and you are not dead."

"What is the damage Grissom, I need to hear it all, I know my left hand is busted."

"According to the doctor, you have a fractured cheek bone, eye socket, one broken rib on one side, three on the other side, compound fracture of the femur, a stab wound in your side, it missed the major organs, and an unflattering mark around your neck that nearly killed you."

_**Flashback to the rescue**__: Grissom had raced into Sara as she passed out, strangling herself in the process, he held he limp and battered form in his arms, her head upright while Brass released her from the metal collar first then the other restraints. She slumped into Grissom's arms like a ragdoll, torn and tattered, his shirt and pants quickly becoming stained red with her blood. She was still breathing, still alive he wasn't too late._

_Nick had gone to Catherine, lying in a bloody heap on the floor, the gun still in her hand. He found her pulse and her breathing was labored but even, she was barely conscious and flinched when Nick touched her, trying once more to raise the gun and defend them both. He gently removed the gun and heard a sob come from Catherine. "Easy Cath, it's me Nick, you'll be alright, just rest for now, Grissom has Sara, everything will be alright now." She closed her eyes and let her adrenaline rush subside along with her consciousness and she slid into the pain free black void._

_Medics were quickly on scene and treating both women, then rushing them both to hospital. The coroner arrived to dispose of Symonds body, and Grissom left Ecklie's days shift to process the place._

"Why us Grissom? Why me?" Her eyes were pleading with him. "Everytime I start to feel safe, someone pulls the rug out from under me, be it either Natalie, or this guy Peter. And why? Because we are women, senior CSIs, and seen on the news occasionally, that's what got him interested. The other two women were practice runs. I can see now that I have to re evaluate my job, maybe become a librarian. I just don't know anymore Grissom." He knew all her bravado was her way of stifling her emotions, a brave face, but he saw through it and was troubled.

She was breaking down in front of him, but still trying to think logically in spite of the pain. It was painful for him to see her like this but she was right.

After that long speech, Grissom ran his hand through his hair and sighed, this job was her life, she loved it, what else would she do? Wrong question, what could he do to help her, yeah that's better.

"I do. You can start by taking up Ecklie's offer on the sick leave, then a vacation to clear your mind and think about your direction. After that we'll re assess the situation, but one thing I want to do is to devote myself to you and that's why I also had the surgeon implant a tracker for you. So I don't lose you again."

She was dumbfounded, not sure whether to be angry or happy. A tracker could have saved much misery in the desert, Catherine's had saved them this time, maybe it was a good idea. It would also enhance the lab's investigative prowess if their own could be found immediately after they were kidnapped. Nick wouldn't have had to endure all that misery and pain either.

"Ok Grissom but I do have an idea, have all CSIs implanted, and don't let anyone but us know it, it could save lives, and increase our reputation to the point where no one would touch us." She smiled up at him. What she wouldn't do for a shot of tequila right now, something to wash away memories.

Grissom understood the meaning and nodded. That was his old Sara, always thinking three steps ahead, analyzing data in her head and finding the overall picture. How could anyone not love this woman.

Sara turned away from him, all the courage she had faded, it would no longer sustain her, she had been right when she said goodbye to Catherine, part of her was gone back there. She was just a façade. Her control, assurance and enthusiasm was gone, she was a shattered shell .

In Catherine's room sat Nick.

"Nicky? I don't remember getting here, what's happened?" she asked anxiously.

"Sshh Cath, don't get yourself worked up, you are safe in hospital, the doctor says he'll have to reconstruct your hand and kneecap later but the collarbone and ankle were clean breaks. The scalpel wound wasn't deep enough to cause much more than blood loss."

"I couldn't reach the tracker to start with, then nothing went right, how did you get to us, surely you didn't just guess."

"No we didn't just guess, you know Grissom, Sara sent him a message via Archie."

Catherine smiled and figured she knew what the message would be.

"How is Sara, I mean I didn't know what happened, I don't know if she's even alive?"

"She'll be fine after some reconstructive work, the perp used brass knuckles on her face and a bat on her thigh and wicked knife in her side. She a bit broken up, but she's Sara, the fighter."

"I don't know that she is anymore Nick, the look in her eyes, she'd resigned herself to die, she'd given up, you could see it. Peter could see it as well, that's why he took his time. She even said the survivor talk was bullshit and said goodbye to us all."

"Then it's up to us, her family, to work her through this, like you all helped me. I still have the nightmares, but they are fewer. We just need to help you and Sara get past this horror, and move on to our next job. Just remember a few words Sara once told me after I was rescued. She said 'it wasn't your day to die'. It wasn't hers either, or yours Catherine."

**A/N Is Sara still a fighter? Or has she been shot down in flames?**

**Many thanks to everyone who reviewed this story, encouragment is appreciated, suggestions welcomed, inspiration priceless. **

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	8. Chapter 8

**Another Nice Mess We've Gotten Into**

**Disclaimer: CBS owns CSI**

**Our girls are alive, what more can we want apart from an aftermath. FINAL CHAPTER**

Chapter 8

Both Catherine and Sara had successful reconstructive surgeries, the relevant bones pinned in place and put into adjoining rooms. The constant pain had had lasting side effects, bad ones. In typical Sidle fashion she ignored the warning signs that her brain shouted out in a vain attempt at controlling a further disaster. The consequences of which laid her present and past open to create a crippling trap from which she might never escape.

Sara tried sleep as a solution, thinking that she was just too exhausted right now, but kept waking up in a cold sweat, her nightmares about her ordeal becoming intertwined with her former nightmares about her parents and the nightmare about being stuck under the car. Now it was like a huge conspiracy that her parents were hurting her, cutting, abusing and stranding her in the desert with the help of Natalie and Peter. Nothing was real, the nightmares shaking her resolve, loosening the fragments of sanity that she had left. Her eyes had this permanently haunted look, even Grissom wasn't real to her anymore, she had withdrawn back into herself.

Grissom could see what was happening and had to help her find a way out of the mental jungle of her mind, she wouldn't listen to him, would respond in fear and anger towards his touch. She'd cower at any of his attempts. She was even screaming at him, her pain, both physical and mental combining to produce irrational fears, unseen monsters, and she was physically lashing out and hitting anyone who came near her. He had no choice but to allow the doctors to restrain her. His heart broke to see the fear, no not fear, sheer naked terror in her eyes, like that of a trapped animal. He had to try something different and Catherine was his first, second and only choice.

"Cath I know this is a big ask, as I know you are not really fit enough physically and you probably also need help coping with this as well, but Sara has withdrawn. She drowning in her own mind, she cowers at my voice or touch, I just don't know what is going on in there. I was thinking perhaps a friendly female voice might help. She's like a trapped animal in there, her eyes aren't gentle but savage. I think I've lost her, lost her to her own imagination unless we can do something quickly. Even the doctor said a psychotic break is not impossible, I don't want to lose her now, I love her Cath."

"Take me to her Griss, I'll try and talk to her without sounding like a mother, but you are right, she needs a female in this situation, and a friend. If we can crack the door inside her mind, we may be able to push it open and get inside."

Catherine tried and kept trying, day in and day out. First she tried to get Sara to recognize her, shared the whole experience with her again, and saw that fierce determination come back into her eyes. It didn't stay long. She tried to draw her out, let her see that she wasn't her mother, she wasn't Natalie, and told her point blank that if she thought she was Peter she'd scream. It brought a small smile to Sara's face. She kept on just simply talking about the ordeals, Nick's ordeal, then several cases, then went on to talk about Lindsey, Grissom, the rest of the team. She tried a shock tactic that seemed to work a bit more. She said she didn't want to let Ecklie see her in a strait jacket. She also told her what Nick said, about not being his day to die, with Natalie it wasn't hers either, for this latest case, neither of them were destined to die. She went on about how Grissom made the team a family and was hurting at the thought of losing his one true love, Sara. Then one day after quietly talking, Sara's wall cracked, the steel trap inside her mind loosened and opened a small door out of the nightmare. Even Catherine was starting to crack under this strain, her own mind and body not yet fully healed, she was exhausted but doing all of this helped her as well.

"Cath… Are you leveling with me, truly?" she asked in a small childlike voice.

"Yes Sara, we are all here for you, no one can hurt you here, it's only a nightmare, the reality of danger is past. You can be discharged as physically fit, but mentally they can't release you. Only you can come back to us, stop fearing Grissom. He loves you, has never left your bedside except when you cower away from him. He's hurting honey."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt him, but those nightmares were so real, I didn't know reality from fantasy. The only way was to shut down, but it still hasn't stopped, Mom, Dad, Natalie, Peter, all out to get me, to kill me. I still don't know what is truly real. I do love Grissom, I want to hug him so much, to feel his touch again. I just keep reliving everything, all connected, like I'm a pawn in some sick game. No Catherine, I recognize you as you, everyone else is a stranger but the names I know. I really can't understand it all, I don't want to end up like Natalie, I don't want to live out my life in a padded cell. How can I come back when everytime I think something, my mind tells me something different?"

Catherine could see her walls going up again. This was a long shot, but proper training is ingrained, not only taught.

"Sara, you remember what Grissom said long ago. Follow the evidence, that's where the answer lies. Now think logically. Your father died, your mother is dead, Natalie is too young to have known them, as was Peter. You were only little yourself, the linkings are all wrong. Sure you were at the centre of it all, but the catalyst wasn't you. Your dad was abusive, your mother died tragically, Natalie wanted to hurt Grissom, and Peter wanted to hurt me. Think hard Sara, see the logic. Look at the evidence, remember what you were taught."

Abruptly there was a fire in Sara's eyes, she was processing data again, thinking logically, her mind opening itself to reality, forgoing the fantasy she had been trapped in. She fought her own mind to regain control, it was a hard struggle. Always there was the pain, the harsh memories, her mind would throw up blank walls that she had to break through. The pain was physical and mental, placing strain on her entire system. She had to be sedated when it became clear that the physical strain was too much, but it didn't stop with sedation, her mind continued it's fight and also fought off the sedation as a minor irritation. It was vicious with the sedation producing her nightmares to fight, her body soaking with sweat, her arms straining against the hospital restraints recently put on for her own protection, as well as those of the staff. It was like a scene out of The Exorcist, but without the head spinning. She let out a blood curdling scream that echoed throughout the hospital. Physically drained she briefly woke and passed out, her mind exhausted. She was carefully observed by her doctor who assured Grissom that she was alright. She slept the whole night, without nightmares. When she awoke she felt reborn, no longer a victim of her own fears, just a victim of other peoples cruelty. That she could deal with in time.

In the morning she was conversing very well with her doctor who decided that since she had apparently managed to come back, all restraints could be removed. And they duly were, to her relief, she didn't want Grissom seeing her like this. As usual Catherine was in a wheelchair beside her, hadn't left her side while she fought her demons, it was also a therapy session for Catherine herself. She always told Grissom that Sara was a fighter, a survivor. Now she had proved it to herself as well.

"Cath, could you send Grissom in please, it's time we had a talk." Catherine smiled, left and sent Gil Grissom.

Sara and Grissom sat and talked for hours, about everything from her distress to his bugs, finally she fell asleep, her hand in his. She didn't have a nightmare and woke up with Grissom still there, his head on the bed and snoring softly. Now she was happy again. Yes she would still take a vacation but this time maybe with someone, Grissom. She also knew she'd continue her job, it's what made her complete, without it she simply wasn't. She'd just be more careful in future.

Brass and Sofia eventually found out Symonds motive for what he'd done, Catherine and Sara had worked a high profile case together, he had been news reporter at the time, this case and interview could have made his career. Both CSIs had answered general questions about the case, making sure to leave out specific information that only the killer would know. Symonds had been very up front in asking them for an interview, and he was convinced there was more to it, so he persisted in asking awkward questions. Each time he got a 'no comment', or a 'nice try' once from Sara. He hadn't been able to trick them into saying anything either. They got tired of him and simply walked away, it hadn't ended his career but he was never put on high profile cases again. He had asked the wrong questions. This reduction in his professional status cost him his family, his wife walked out with the children and never came back.

His editor got a complaint from the LVPD about his behavior so he was reprimanded and taken off the news desk. He was furious and privately collected information, pictures, newspaper clippings of both CSIs, researched them as well as possible before getting his revenge. His future was gone, shattered, his life totally ruined, but he decided to mess with their future instead. He lost.

During the grand vacation and healing process, Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle 'processed' each other intimately and professed their undying love for each other, and on the last day of their vacation Grissom acted. He had been shopping that day and had a small velvet covered box in his pocket, and was going to meet Sara for a romantic dinner in a flashy restaurant.

He knelt in front of Sara, and she felt a tingle of anticipation.

"Sara Sidle, I have loved you since the first time we ever met, even though I was too stupid and selfish to admit it to anyone, even myself. I love you Sara, I always will, a never ending love that will last through the ages, undiminished by time. Sara Sidle, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife, someone an old man can love for the rest of his life?"

Sara smiled down at his kneeling form, clasping his head in her hands and kissing him on the forehead.

"Yes Gilbert Grissom, it would be my honour to be your wife, and to have my own bugman finally as my bughusband. On one condition."

Uh oh what is the condition?

"On the condition that you keep your tarantula at work, no pets with more than four legs ok?"

"Agreed."

He slipped the beautiful ring on her finger, the diamonds being set into the gold band, not sitting proud like a usual engagement ring, this one she could wear under latex gloves with no problem. Grissom was always the practical thinker. This time romantic as well.

**THE END**

**A/N Well I hope you liked it, if you didn't, please tell me why.**

**Many thanks to everyone who reviewed this story, encouragment is appreciated, suggestions welcomed, inspiration priceless. **

**I do love feedback, so PLEASE FEED ME!**


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